Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Examples
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, and tellers.
Operate or tend heating equipment other than basic metal, plastic, or food processing equipment. Includes activities such as annealing glass, drying lumber, curing rubber, removing moisture from materials, or boiling soap.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $27K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $32K
Median Salary: $40K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $50K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $60K
Demand
Core Tasks
Monitor equipment operation, gauges, and panel lights to detect deviations from standards.
Confer with supervisors or other equipment operators to report equipment malfunctions or to resolve production problems.
Press and adjust controls to activate, set, and regulate equipment according to specifications.
Record gauge readings, test results, and shift production in log books.
Read and interpret work orders and instructions to determine work assignments, process specifications, and production schedules.
Stop equipment and clear blockages or jams, using fingers, wire, or hand tools.
Examine or test samples of processed substances, or collect samples for laboratory testing, to ensure conformance to specifications.
Load equipment receptacles or conveyors with material to be processed, by hand or using hoists.
Remove products from equipment, manually or using hoists, and prepare them for storage, shipment, or additional processing.
Calculate amounts of materials to be loaded into furnaces, adjusting amounts as necessary for specific conditions.
Transport materials and products to and from work areas, manually or using carts, handtrucks, or hoists.
Melt or refine metal before casting, calculating required temperatures, and observe metal color, adjusting controls as necessary to maintain required temperatures.
Weigh or measure specified amounts of ingredients or materials for processing, using devices such as scales and calipers.
Direct crane operators and crew members to load vessels with materials to be processed.
Feed fuel, such as coal and coke, into fireboxes or onto conveyors, and remove ashes from furnaces, using shovels and buckets.
Replace worn or defective equipment parts, using hand tools.
Clean, lubricate, and adjust equipment, using scrapers, solvents, air hoses, oil, and hand tools.
Sprinkle chemicals on the surface of molten metal to bring impurities to surface and remove impurities, using strainers.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Mechanical
71%
Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Production and Processing
65%
Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Public Safety and Security
63%
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Computers and Electronics
60%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
English Language
57%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Education and Training
56%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Mathematics
54%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Administration and Management
53%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Customer and Personal Service
52%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Chemistry
49%
Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Top 10 Skills
Operations Monitoring
78%
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Active Listening
63%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
63%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring
63%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Operation and Control
63%
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Reading Comprehension
63%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking
63%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Quality Control Analysis
60%
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Writing
53%
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Coordination
50%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Top 10 Abilities
Problem Sensitivity
73%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Control Precision
70%
The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Oral Comprehension
68%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Written Comprehension
68%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
65%
The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Near Vision
65%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Speech Recognition
65%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Information Ordering
63%
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Oral Expression
63%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Reaction Time
63%
The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Top 10 Work Activities
Controlling Machines and Processes
87%
Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
86%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material
86%
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Handling and Moving Objects
84%
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
84%
Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Getting Information
83%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
82%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
82%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People
79%
Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
Performing General Physical Activities
78%
Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Detailed Work Activities
Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
Confer with others to resolve production problems or equipment malfunctions.
Adjust temperature controls of ovens or other heating equipment.
Record operational or production data.
Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
Test chemical or physical characteristics of materials or products.
Move products, materials, or equipment between work areas.
Clear equipment jams.
Load materials into production equipment.
Remove products or workpieces from production equipment.
Calculate specific material, equipment, or labor requirements for production.
Melt metal, plastic, or other materials to prepare for production.
Measure ingredients or substances to be used in production processes.
Direct operational or production activities.
Replace worn equipment components.
Clean production equipment.
Maintain production or processing equipment.
Lubricate production equipment.
Skim impurities from molten metal.
Work Context
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets?
Exposed to Contaminants
How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in non-controlled environmental conditions (e.g., warehouse without heat)?
Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures?
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings
How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings?
Consequence of Error
How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not readily correctable?
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
Education
Interests
Realistic
100%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional
58%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Investigative
39%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Enterprising
29%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Artistic
15%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Social
15%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Top 10 Work Styles
Attention to Detail
82%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability
78%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Self Control
77%
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Initiative
74%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Stress Tolerance
74%
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Cooperation
72%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Independence
72%
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Achievement/Effort
70%
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Concern for Others
70%
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Adaptability/Flexibility
69%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Work Values
Support
91%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Independence
58%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Relationships
53%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Working Conditions
46%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Achievement
34%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Recognition
34%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
